The Ascensor Barón, built in 1906, is a

funicular A funicular (, , ) is a type of cable railway system that connects points along a railway track laid on a steep slope. The system is characterized by two counterbalanced carriages (also called cars or trains) permanently attached to opposite e ...

located on its namesake hill in

Valparaíso Valparaíso (; ) is a major city, seaport, naval base, and educational centre in the commune of Valparaíso, Chile. "Greater Valparaíso" is the second largest metropolitan area in the country. Valparaíso is located about northwest of Santiago ...

Chile Chile, officially the Republic of Chile, is a country in the western part of South America. It is the southernmost country in the world, and the closest to Antarctica, occupying a long and narrow strip of land between the Andes to the east a ...

, and was declared a

Historic Monument A monument is a type of structure that was explicitly created to commemorate a person or event, or which has become relevant to a social group as a part of their remembrance of historic times or cultural heritage, due to its artistic, his ...

on September 1, 1998.

Description

The Ascensor Barón has great urban significance by virtue of being the connection between the Plan de Valparaíso with one of the most tourist

scenic viewpoint A scenic viewpoint – also called an observation point, viewpoint, viewing point, vista point, lookout, scenic overlook,These terms are more commonly used in North America. etc. – is an elevated location where people can view scenery (often w ...

s in the eastern section of the natural amphitheater where sits the city. This viewpoint formed part of the old road to

Quillota Quillota is a city located in the Aconcagua River valley in central Chile's Valparaíso Region. It is the capital and largest city of Quillota Province, where many inhabitants live in the outlying farming areas of San Isidro, La Palma, Pococ ...

, which joined

to the hacienda of the Siete Hermanas (the land currently occupied by the city of Viña del Mar). Its altitude ranges between above sea level. The track length is and the journey time is 95 seconds. Located on the Barón Hill, the funicular connects the España and Argentina avenues, on the flat part of the city, with the Diego Portales street of the hill. It is nearby the Barón Station, which is connected to the rest of the metropolitan area. Inaugurated on April 17, 1909, its first owner was the defunct Compañía de Tracción Eléctrica (CTE). It was the first electrical funicular in the city, system that replaced the previous water counterbalance system. The

electric engine An electric motor is an electrical machine that converts electrical energy into mechanical energy. Most electric motors operate through the interaction between the motor's magnetic field and electric current in a wire winding to generate force ...

was brought from Germany. This funicular, along with the Reina Victoria, was owned by the (which was also owner of the dismantled Ascensor Placeres), before being bought by the Municipality of Valparaíso. Like the other surviving funiculars of Valparaíso, it was declared a

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Ascensor Baron Funicular railways in Chile Buildings and structures in Valparaíso

Description

See also

References